Through middle school and high school, many students strive to get into a college offering them the best education possible. Once they get to college, they try to squeeze the most out of their four years through coursework and life experience. But what about the people who attend Tufts every day for a different reason: work?
Education at Tufts is not just for students. The Tufts Human Resources Benefits Office offers educational opportunities for Tufts employees through two main educational benefit programs, the tuition remission program and the staff tuition reimbursement program.
The tuition remission program covers 100 percent of the cost of courses taken at Tufts, and all university employees - faculty and staff alike - are eligible for the program after three months of employment.
Educational benefits at Tufts apply to all employees, regardless of the nature of their work. The only factor affecting benefits is the employee's working hours per week. Full-time employees receive more benefits than regular part-time employees, who work from 17.5 to 35 hours per week.
Full-time employees can apply for tuition remission for up to two courses per semester after three months of employment, while part-time employees can do so for only one course per semester.
According to Vice President of Tufts Human Resources Kathe Cronin, among those who enroll in the tuition remission program, science-related courses are a popular choice. Those classrooms, Cronin said, provide the best resources for research technicians under employment at the Tufts School of Medicine.
Another educational offer, the staff tuition reimbursement program, applies to job-related or other approved courses at accredited universities. Tuition reimbursement is exclusive to staff employees who have completed one year of full-time service at Tufts, and allows maximum reimbursement of $2,000.
According to Cronin, this program often proves most practical for staff employees: though many staff members do not find courses at Tufts directly relating to their jobs, tuition reimbursement gives them the opportunity to take applicable courses elsewhere.
Cronin compared the two programs. "I would say that tuition reimbursement is more popular among staff," she said. "It can be more difficult for staff to find job-related courses here at Tufts, so they may look into other courses at other institutions."
Jocelyne Jean-Louis, a lead customer service assistant at Hodgdon Dining, said that the educational opportunities Tufts provides for staffers like herself promote the general good of the University.
"I think taking courses will be good for the employees, and I think if you work in a university, you need a higher level of education," Jean-Louis said.
Cronin said that "both the tuition remission program and tuition reimbursement program are well-publicized when employees apply for jobs," and added that most staff members are aware of such educational opportunities.
But some employees - even those who support the existence of the programs - expressed confusion about those programs. When asked about her awareness of the extent of employee educational benefits, Jean-Louis said, "I know my children can take courses for free here at Tufts. Can I take courses too?"
Despite such ambiguity, Cronin said that employees have responded well to the tuition remission program - through which the children, spouses and domestic partners of employees who've been full-time at Tufts for five consecutive years have the opportunity to take courses at the University.
"A lot of children of our employees take courses here," Cronin said.
Having staff members in undergraduate courses can lend students a viewpoint that they might not otherwise see within a classroom. "I have had staff people take my courses, and it is always great," said American Studies Professor Elizabeth Ammons. "It makes a very valuable addition to the class to have folks whose perspectives are often different from most undergraduates."
In addition to tuition remission and reimbursement, the Human Resources Department also supports the Organizational Development and Training team. The team offers organizational consulting, management and professional development programs that aim to enhance employees' job-related skills, thus improving Tufts' administrative capabilities.
Cronin remains confident about Tufts' educational benefits program and its competitiveness with such programs at other universities. "We periodically survey other institutions with their benefits programs," she said. "Tufts, being a research institution, should give staff the opportunity to continue their education."
When compared to those at comparable institutions, Tufts' educational benefits are relatively standard. Most NESCAC and Ivy League schools offer tuition reimbursement, administrative and managerial training programs, and the option to audit or receive credit in courses at the university for free - all of which Tufts offers as well.
